"Obama Gains Delegates in Texas!"
That’s what the headlines will read on Sunday, if you make it happen.
This Saturday, Texas will hold its Democratic County Conventions and State Senate District conventions. Until Saturday, election-night caucus results are NOT certified. The delegate totals predicted from March 4th are approximations. The final delegate numbers all depend on who shows up this Saturday. All the precinct conventions did was determine which people go to their County or State Senate district convention, in what proportion for each candidate from each precinct. The real numbers are determined by the sign-ins at this weekend's conventions.
We need to turn out all of our Obama delegates and alternates. I need you to call Texas delegates and alternates and make sure they can attend. There are too many numbers for those of us in Texas to do it alone. You all did such an amazing job calling Texas the weekend before the primary. Can I count on you, one last time?
Look, it’s a numbers game. If Obama turns out a larger percentage of people to sign in on Saturday, we gain delegates. Traditionally, only 40% of precinct-level delegates show up at their county conventions. Yes, this is an extraordinary year, and the numbers should be higher. BUT. We still need to do the work to make sure that as many of Obama’s delegates as possible make it to their county conventions. It’s the only way to guarantee that we win more delegates in the state of Texas.
Here’s the thing: Texas is a huge state. There are just so many delegates to contact. For comparison, let’s look at Iowa and Texas:
| Iowa | Texas |
Caucus Turnout | 220,000 | 1,100,000 |
Number of Precincts | 1,800 | 8,000 |
Delegates Elected
On Caucus Night | 13,485 | Over 40,000 |
We were able to call almost every delegate in Iowa,and it paid off: we picked up delegates. With four days to go, I know that we can call every delegate and alternate in Texas, too, and do the same. It’s a big challenge, but there are some great callers out there and I know you’re up for it!
Look, I've seen a lot of precinct-by-precinct returns. There are precincts where we swept all of the delegates. We need to guarantee that lead. There are precincts where we tied. We need to make sure we hold that tie by turning out all of our people. There are precincts where we got hammered. We need to be absolutely sure we have delegates and alternates ready to prevent any further slippage.
The alternates are really important, too: if a Hillary delegate doesn't show, and there aren't any Hillary alternates, we get to replace that person with an Obama alternate. To maximize our gains, we need as many people as possible at these conventions.
Call Texas Delegates and Alternates
Go to the National Calling tool and call delegates and alternates. Make sure the Obama delegates can attend this Saturday.
The script is simple. First, you’ll tell the person they were selected as a delegate or alternate, and ask who they are supporting. There may be Clinton supporters on the list, and we need to know that, too. If you get a Clinton person, follow the script and politely end the call. If you get an Obama supporter, you’ll ask if they plan to attend, and if they can, give them a little more information. If they cannot, encourage them to attend at least for the sign-in. The first step is just to get as many Obama supporters as we can out to the conventions.
Before you start, I suggest that you first read the diary I posted yesterday: Texas County Conventions: A How-To Guide. This will prepare you to answer any questions the Obama supporters have. You should also keep the Texas County Conventions page on the Barack Obama website open, too, to help people find their locations. If someone wants more information, direct them to a training session near their home.
Some of the precinct conventions were so chaotic that people don’t know who was elected a delegate or alternate from their precinct. In some cases there weren’t the correct number of people elected. It is imperative that we contact all of these people at let them know.
We can’t run the risk of having a lower turnout than Hillary this Saturday.
I know, I know, I keep hounding you to help Obama. But when Obama wins the nomination, it will be because of the volunteer efforts of people like you all who got the job done. The only reason Obama is ahead in votes, states and delegates is because of the awe-inspiring efforts of Obama volunteers. Yes, he has a great message and a fantastic staff. But it’s the volunteers that get voters to the polls or the caucus, it’s the volunteers that make the personal phone calls, register voters, do data entry, and donate their time and energy to spreading that message and implementing campaign strategies. The strength of our underdog-to-frontrunner streak has been the unflagging effort and energy of the volunteers.
If nothing else, consider it a personal plea from me: I need your help. It’s been a long slog here in Texas, and we haven’t let up on the ground since March 4th. Volunteers have entered the names and contact info of every last Obama delegate from across the state. That data entry is finally done, but we’ve only got four more days before the conventions this Saturday, and we need to call so many delegates. If you can make even just 25 calls each night this week, it will do those of us in Texas a big favor and let us focus on organizing our precincts and looking for places where we can pick up the most delegates.
This is our last chance to make a major gain in delegates before Pennsylvania. I want to wake up to headlines on Sunday that talk about how Obama has definitively won Texas, thanks to our outstanding showing in the county conventions. Help us seal the deal.
Yes We Can / Si Se Puede!
Update! One more hour to go, folks! After you're done, please let us know how it went. Things are looking great on this end, and it's so great to know you're all helping out too.